Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series (Dubai Open) Announces 2017 Tournament Dates at Live Draw
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series (Dubai Open), an 18 Goal Handicap competition, enters its eighth year under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. The tournament is now the highest handicap in the UAE. On Monday, January 16th, 2017 at The Al Habtoor Group Head Office, the organising committee conducted a live draw for the McLaren Cup 2017.
The Dubai Open has been split into two tournaments. Starting with the McLaren Cup, which runs from Friday January 21st, 2017 to Friday February 3rd, 2017. The second tournament, the Julius Baer Gold Cup, commences on Friday, February 18th, 2017 to Friday March 10th, 2017.
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series is the fourth-largest tournament of its kind after Argentina, the US and the UK. First founded by Mohammed Al Habtoor in 2009, the tournament is the premier regional polo competition of the year, and attracts VIPs, society figures, and senior corporate executives from across the GCC. It has grown in tandem with the city of Dubai and since 2012, it is the only tournament in the UAE to be recognized and certified by the World Polo Tour (WPT). It is played under the banner of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), with the Gold Cup being played according to HPA rules and the provision of umpires is managed under strict international supervision by the HPA.
Mohammed Al Habtoor, Founder of the tournament and patron of the Habtoor Polo team said, “This year there are seven teams playing in the McLaren Cup and ten teams for the Julius Baer Gold Cup, further evidence that the tournaments continue to grow. The Dubai Open has helped put the UAE on the world polo circuit. Each year the competition gets better and better, and we attract some of the best polo players in the world.”
The participating teams will host some of the top-ranking World Polo Tour players, including Pablo Mac Donough, the 10-goal superstar and three-time ‘Triple Crown Champion with La Dolfina’; Nicolas Pieres, who was recently raised to 10 goals after his superb performance in the Argentine Open; Lucas Montverde (9-goal handicap); Alfredo Cappella Barabucci (9-goal handicap) Guillermo Terrera (8-goal handicap), and Ezquiel Martinez Ferrario (8-goal handicap) and many others, who have come directly from Argentine Open.
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup will be held at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club, Dubai Land.
Seven polo teams will be participating in the McLaren Cup 2017 18-goal handicap:
- Mahra Polo – Patron: Rashid Al Habtoor
- Bin Drai Polo Team – Patron: Saeed Bin Drai
- Habtoor Polo Team – Patron: Mohammed Al Habtoor
- UAE Polo Team – Patron: Her Highness Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
- Zedan Polo Team – Patron: Amr Zedan
- Habtoor Wolves Polo Team – Patron: Habtoor Al Habtoor
- Desert Palm Polo Team – Tariq Albwardy
